No more promises, locals of Ayodhya want Ram temple

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No more false promises, locals...

AYODHYA/FAIZABAD: This Deepawali, it is not just sound bites ringing in as clamour from politicians promising a grand Ram Temple at the disputed site, that Ayodhya wants. Growing louder over the crackers that will be burst on November 6 at the Ram ki Paidi and taller than the Lord Ram effigy built out of plaster of Paris (POP), is Ayodhya's continued demand for the Ram temple even as the state government prepares for a large scale Deepotsav at the temple town, for the second consecutive year.

Three lakh diyas will be lit up at the Ram ki Paidi on Chhoti Diwali, and while locals say celebrating the festival with lights, sounds, lasers, water fixtures and colourful Ram Leela characters descending from a helicopter, are well tourist attractions for both tourists and the locals, the promise of a Ram temple has kept not just the town but the entire country hooked on to it for long. A promise which needs to be fulfilled now in action and not just words.

Taking rounds of the many temples aligned one after another at the Ram ki Paidi, a batch of NCC cadets is exuberant about the Deepotsav. Cleaners have been busy the entire Sunday morning, trying to get the weed out of the Saryu river flowing through and the steel barriers on the platforms up the ghats are seeing the shine on them, after quite some time. Colour changing LED lights have been put up and will illuminate the temples at night when a crowd of people descends to welcome Lord Ram to Ayodhya from his exile.

No more false promises, locals want Ram Temple in Ayodhya

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Breaking from the routine of the ghats in the morning, an NCC cadet Raman Pandey tells TOI, "All of these lights and arrangements you see over here, are making Ayodhya look very pretty but it is not going to be enough to take people away from the promise of Ram mandir. The government has been riding on the temple wave, using it for votes and coming to power, but has relentlessly failed at delivering the promise. There has been no outcome yet and they keep throwing slogans at us. This time however, if they get the temple running before 2019 elections, will the present government be brought back."

At another temple entrance, Ram Lagan from Faizabad has been overseeing the cleanliness routine being followed on Sunday. Taking a seat on its steps, he said, "There is a lot of word in the air again around Ram temple but all of this is only to stray people away. In the last four years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has travelled to different counties of the world and different Indian states, but never has he set foot in Ayodhya. Why? Because he has not delivered the promise made. All this Deepotsav programme being held is only an illusion being set in front of people's eyes."

Ram mandir in Ayodhya: 'Fulfil promise in action, not just words'

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A few minutes away from the Ram Ki Paidi, which will be the action seat for three days of Diwali paraphernalia, is the Hanuman Garhi. Business on Sunday morning is continuing as usual as sweetmeat shops and those with garlands are cajoling pilgrims to buy the wares as tribute to Hanuman.

Manning his sweetmeat shop, Omkar Nath said, "It looks like the temple will be built now and the government can bring in a law for it. Only the Ram temple will bring development to Ayodhya all other things are just talks in the air."

Back at the Ram ki Paidi, book seller, Gopal Chandra Mishra, believed Yogi as an avataar of Hanuman, will be the one to bring the Ram temple to Ayodhya. Faith sparkling in his eyes, he said, "We can very clearly see that this Diwali, Ram Ji is coming to Ayodhya and Yogi as the avataar of Hanuman, is coming to perform his puja. This shows that the temple is also going to come and nobody can stop it now."

However, trader of stones and silverware, outside the Hanuman Garhi, businesswoman Meera Kaushal had a different view. She said, "Deepotsav is different from the Ram temple and we don't see a connect between the two. People have for long beeen demanding the Ram temple and that is why the BJP was brought to power and yet nothing has been done in the last few years. The Diwali programme is now an annual phenomena which is restricted to the chief minister's level and is not touching upon the national and international subject of the temple."

In between managing customers and putting her point forth, she added, "The BJP state chief has talked about a good news for Ayodhya and we are all hopeful that it could be the announcement of a law for Ram temple construction. There is a lot of talk about it on these lines and development is not really a concern. If the temple is not up, BJP will go back to where it came from."

Not invited to the Deepotsav programme at Ram Ki Paidi to be held on Tuesday, head pujari at the Ram Janmbhoomi temple, Mahant Satendra Das, agrees Diwali has brought with it reignited hopes.

Performing aarti at the disputed site since March 1992, the 80-year-old Mahant said, "No party leaves its own selfish reasons behind and the BJP is well aware that if the temple is not started it will have to face the ire of Hindus. Ram Bhakhts have been patient until now and have not taken action against the party for the promises it had made and we are still hopeful that while they celebrate Diwali with all pomp and show, to save its own skin, BJP will do something on the lines of the Ram temple."

He added, "Last year at this same function, CM Yogi had announced that next year (in 2018) the programme will be held at the Grand Ram temple. Where is that? Now we want to know a date when the work at the disputed site will begin. The party, if it thinks, can distract people by the big Ram idol on the banks of Saryu or with a lakh plus diyas, it should know that there can be no alternative to the construction of Ram temple at Ram Janmbhoomi."

As politicians continue to claim that the temple construction will start by December or with talks that the government might bring in an ordinance in favour of the temple, Faizabad resident Harishankar Sharma said, "No matter what happens, we are sure the construction will start in December and the name of Faizabad will also change to Ayodhya. There is no doubt about it." His counterpart in Faizabad's Chowk area, Usmaan Salmani, however said, "Politicians say a lot of things for political gains which they cannot fulfill. Gandhi also said there will be more streams flowing in the country! But nothing can be done by overruling the judiciary, only the Deepotsav can be held for now."

One of the main litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi dispute, Iqbal Ansari, also added, "The Deepotsav is welcome by all, Hindus and Muslims, it will make Ayodhya the jewel in tourism sector but that does not mean a Ram temple can be built under it's garb. No new law can be made nor an ordinance be brought in the present judiciary setup of the country where rights of all are protected."

Ram Temple: Light a diya for Lord Rama, work will start very soon, says Yogi Adityanath

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